Rosemont principal tells Gov. Scott: We need more money

Gov. Rick Scott stopped by Rosemont Elementary this morning to celebrate its two big accomplishments — boosting its D grade to an A last year and Principal Patty Harrelson's recently being named as Florida's top principal.

Even as Scott touted the fact that next year's state budget includes $1 billion more for public education, Harrelson was clear about what she needs to help her school stay on track: More money.

Scott rounded up Rosemont administrators for a short talk before spending about an hour visiting classrooms to chat and shake hands with youngsters and their teachers.

Harrelson explained to the governor that budget cuts had forced her to give up half the specialized staff she had counted on to work with struggling readers. She lost six members of her 11-member 'intervention' team. And she's worried that tight finances might mean losing more.

"There are not enough hands to do the work," said Harrelson, who took over Rosemont in 2010-11 to turn the school around. "More people would be awesome."

Rosemont is just one example of a Florida public school that has made big gains in student achievement — gains that administrators worry could be lost amid school district-level budget cuts and looming changes to the way the state grades the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

While Scott did not directly address Harrelson's complaints about the new FCAT scoring system and her district's budget cuts, he did offer her administrative team suggestions for getting local businesses to donate money.

Rosemont leaders said they need more help buying items needed to get parents involved in their children's studies — for example, food to lure parents to family events on campus.

Scott, who has been visiting Florida schools for the last three weeks, suggested calling area law firms and health-care systems for help.

"I'd call on every part of the health-care community," said Scott, a former executive of corporate hospitals. "There's plenty of people [to help]. It's just connecting."

For the bulk of his visit, Scott stopped by classrooms, pausing, at one point, to show youngsters his leather boots, decorated with the state and American flags.

He also helped serve snow cones to students who had won a monthly reading contest.